Venice makes Forbes' list of Top 25 places to retire

Retirees enjoy the warm Venice weather on Tuesday afternoon. Venice may soon see more retirees after Forbes recently named the city among the top 25 places to retire. The magazine took cost of living, median home values, walk-ability and other amenities into consideration.

Published: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 2:55 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 2:55 p.m.

VENICE - A prestigious national business magazine has confirmed what many residents of this city say they have long known: Venice is a great place to retire.

Facts

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Forbes has ranked Venice among the top 25 places to retire, joining Cape Coral and Port St. Lucie as the only Florida cities on the list.

John Ryan, who is the president and CEO of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, said several publications have touted Venice as a retirement destination, but the Forbes article carries particular weight.

"With Forbes, whether you're ready to retire or not, you're more likely to know what's going on in the magazine," Ryan said. "You can't put a price on that sort of national recognition."

Forbes based it list partly on economic factors such as the cost of living, home prices, state-tax climates for retirees, and current or future economic prosperity.

Median home values in Venice were about $180,000 from 2008 and 2012, according to Census data. The national average during the same time period was $232,000 and $258,000.

While Venice's cost of living was nearly identical to the national average, Florida does not have a personal income tax, which is always a boon for retirees.

Forbes also cited the warm weather, low crime and above-average air quality as reasons why Venice was included on the list.

The only negative Forbes cited was the city's "low walkability rating."

Venice Mayor John Holic added that there are more amenities in Venice than any article could mention.

"If you put a dream sheet together and said I want all these amenities," Holic said, "we would probably have more to offer than your dream sheet."

From year-round activities featuring spots like the beach, downtown's revitalized restaurant scene and a surprisingly robust art scene, Holic said Venice has all of the features of a large city with a small, beach-town feeling.

He added that he has noticed an uptick in year-round residents as well as snowbirds who flock to Venice for an active retirement.

"It's not just the businesses that cater to retirees," Holic said. "We have an art center, a wonderful library, community center with activities all the time. We are a city of 21,000 people, and we have our own symphony. When all the planets line up together, this is what you get."

Others say the beach is the biggest draw.

George and Jean Toby from Minnesota, who have been retired for less than five years, said they traveled to Naples, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs but always had issues with beach traffic and beach access.

But when they came to Venice, they could ride their bikes wherever they wanted to go.

"We just love the small town feeling and convenient access points to the beach," George said.

<p><em>VENICE</em> - A prestigious national business magazine has confirmed what many residents of this city say they have long known: Venice is a great place to retire.</p><p>Forbes has ranked Venice among the top 25 places to retire, joining Cape Coral and Port St. Lucie as the only Florida cities on the list.</p><p>John Ryan, who is the president and CEO of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, said several publications have touted Venice as a retirement destination, but the Forbes article carries particular weight.</p><p>"With Forbes, whether you're ready to retire or not, you're more likely to know what's going on in the magazine," Ryan said. "You can't put a price on that sort of national recognition."</p><p>Forbes based it list partly on economic factors such as the cost of living, home prices, state-tax climates for retirees, and current or future economic prosperity.</p><p>Median home values in Venice were about $180,000 from 2008 and 2012, according to Census data. The national average during the same time period was $232,000 and $258,000.</p><p>While Venice's cost of living was nearly identical to the national average, Florida does not have a personal income tax, which is always a boon for retirees.</p><p>Forbes also cited the warm weather, low crime and above-average air quality as reasons why Venice was included on the list.</p><p>The only negative Forbes cited was the city's "low walkability rating."</p><p>Venice Mayor John Holic added that there are more amenities in Venice than any article could mention.</p><p>"If you put a dream sheet together and said I want all these amenities," Holic said, "we would probably have more to offer than your dream sheet."</p><p>From year-round activities featuring spots like the beach, downtown's revitalized restaurant scene and a surprisingly robust art scene, Holic said Venice has all of the features of a large city with a small, beach-town feeling.</p><p>He added that he has noticed an uptick in year-round residents as well as snowbirds who flock to Venice for an active retirement.</p><p>"It's not just the businesses that cater to retirees," Holic said. "We have an art center, a wonderful library, community center with activities all the time. We are a city of 21,000 people, and we have our own symphony. When all the planets line up together, this is what you get."</p><p>Others say the beach is the biggest draw.</p><p>George and Jean Toby from Minnesota, who have been retired for less than five years, said they traveled to Naples, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs but always had issues with beach traffic and beach access.</p><p>But when they came to Venice, they could ride their bikes wherever they wanted to go.</p><p>"We just love the small town feeling and convenient access points to the beach," George said.</p>